Penang Bridge

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Penang Bridge
Official name	Penang Bridge
Malay name	Jambatan Pulau Pinang
Locale	Penang Bridge
Carries	Motor vehicles
Crosses	South Channel, Malaysia
Longest span	225m
Total length	13.6km
Width	--
Opening date	1985
Maintained by	Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB)
Design	cable stayed bridge box girder bridge
Designer/clients	Government of Malaysia Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) United Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM)
Contractor/construction	Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company (Korea) Ltd United Engineers Malaysia Berhad (UEM)

The Penang Bridge (Jambatan Pulau Pinang in Malay) is a dual-carriageway toll bridge that connects Gelugor on the island of Penang and Seberang Prai on the mainland of Malaysia on the Malay Peninsula. The bridge is also linked to the North-South Expressway in Prai and Jelutong Expressway in Penang. It was officially opened to traffic on September 14, 1985. The total length of the bridge is 13.5 km (8.4 miles), making it among the longest bridges in the world, the longest bridge in the country as well as a national landmark. Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB) is the concession holder which manages it. The bridge was designed by a local Penang resident, Tan Sri Datuk Professor Ir. Chin Fung Kee, a well known authority in geotechnical engineering and former acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Malaya.

Before 1985, transportation between the island and the mainland was solely dependent on the state-owned Penang Ferry Service that runs between Butterworth and George Town.

Similar to the ferry services in Penang, toll is only paid when heading to the island. There is no charge for leaving the island.

Currently, the Penang Bridge is being expanded from 4 lanes to 6 lanes to accommodate the increasing traffic on the bridge. A proposal for a second bridge, the Penang Second Bridge, has been approved by the Malaysian federal government and included as one of the Ninth Malaysia Plan national projects. Construction work of the new Penang Second Bridge began in November 2008, and the target completion date is May 2012.

Recently, the Penang Bridge was assigned its own route number of .

[edit] Route background

The Kilometre Zero of the bridge starts at Perai Interchange of the Tun Hussein Onn Highway near Perai.

[edit] History

[edit] Chronology

E36 expressway
Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB)
Length	13.5 kilometres (8.4 miles)
Direction	West→East
Start	Gelugor Penang Island
Main destinations	Butterworth Perai Gelugor George Town
End	Perai Seberang Perai
Construction dates	1982 - 1985
Road/Expressway joined	Butterworth Outer Ring Road AH 2 North-South Expressway Northern Route Jalan Perusahan Perai Jelutong Expressway Bayan Lepas Expressway Gelugor Highway
Asian Highway Network	none
Technical specifications
Number of lanes	4 lanes carriageway except in the central span where it is 6 lanes
Interchanges	5
Toll plazas	2 (Enter bridge only)
P Layby	none
R&R Rest and Service Area	none
R&R Overhead Bridge Restaurant	none
V Vista Point	none
Highway tunnels	none
Type of roads	Highway bridge Tarmac
Toll systems	Open toll systems
Maps
{{{Maps}}}
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• Early 1970s - The idea to build a bridge linking Seberang Perai to Penang Island was initiated by the late Tun Abdul Razak, the second Prime Minister of Malaysia
• End of 1970s - The bridge was planned during the term of third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn.
• 23 July 1981 - Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu announced that the Penang Bridge, Penang would be constructed using the cable-stayed concrete girder of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge instead of the steel-tied arch in the style of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• 1982 - Construction of the Penang Bridge officially began.
• 3 August 1985 - Official opening of the Penang Bridge by the fourth Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad. He drove across the bridge in a red Proton Saga (a national car), carrying the national flag to officiate the opening ceremony.
• 14 September - Penang Bridge was opened to traffic for the first time.
• 15 August 1993 - Penang Bridge is now managed by the highway concessionaries Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd
• 4 April 2007 - A bomb hoax found at the Penang Bridge caused the bridge to close for more than two hours (from 4:30 pm) and reopened to traffic at 7:00 pm after a bomb disposal squad declared it safe.
• January 2008 - The widening works for the bridge from 4 lanes to 6 lanes has begun.

[edit] Current developments

[edit] Penang Bridge Widening Project

The widening works for the bridge from 4 lanes to 6 lanes began on January 2008 and expected to be completed in the late 2009.

Penang Bridge Widening Project on You Tube

[edit] Bridge specifications^[1]

• Overall Length: 13.5 km (8.4 miles)
• Length Over Water: 8.4 km (5.2 miles)
• Penang Island Viaduct & Approach: 1.5 km (0.9 miles)
• Prai Approach: 3.6 km (2.2 miles)
• Carriageway: 2 lanes per carriageway except in the central span where it is 3. Work to widen the entire bridge to 3 lanes per carriageway has begun.
• Height of Tower Above Water: 101.5 m
• Height of Bridge Above Water: 33 m
• Main Span: 225 m
• End Span: 107.5 m
• Other Span: 40 m
• Speed limit: 80 km/h
• Maximum Gradient: 3.0%

[edit] Features

The bridge has an SOS emergency feature and traffic CCTV. The Gelugor Complex Interchange is the largest highway interchange in Malaysia.

[edit] Toll rates

Since 1985, Penang Bridge has been a tolled bridge. The toll is charged as you enter the bridge from the mainland end towards Penang Island. There is no toll imposed for mainland-bound motorists coming from the island.

The first concession was a government body, the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA). Since 1993, toll collection has been undertaken by a private concession company, Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd.

This table below is a list of toll rates for various vehicles crossing the bridge:-

Note: Touch 'n Go is also available for light vehicles and motorcycles. Smart TAG lane are for light vehicles only. As part of the concessionaire's initiative to increase use of the more efficient electronic payment system, user with Touch 'n Go card (and Smart TAG) issued from Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd office will receive a 20% discount on the Penang Bridge toll.

[edit] List of Interchanges

This is a list of interchanges of the Penang Bridge.

[edit] Tun Hussein Onn Highway side

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
			AH 2NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY NORTHERN ROUTE NORTH Bukit Kayu Hitam Alor Star Seberang Jaya
AH 2 NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY NORTHERN ROUTE PLUS Expressways border limit
PENANG BRIDGE (TUN HUSSEIN ONN HIGHWAY) PBSB border limit
		PERAI INTERCHANGE	NORTHWEST BUTTERWORTH OUTER RING ROAD Perai Butterworth SOUTHEAST BUTTERWORTH-KULIM HIGHWAY Bukit Mertajam	Parcelo cloverleaf interchange
		Railway crossing bridge
	EXIT 3601A EXIT 3601B	PENANG BRIDGE INTERCHANGE	EXIT 3601A AH 2NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY NORTHERN ROUTE SOUTH Kuala Lumpur Ipoh Taiping EXIT 3601B JALAN PERUSAHAAN PERAI NORTHWEST Perai Industrial Area SOUTHEAST Juru	EXIT 3601A Stacked expressway interchange EXIT 3601B Cloverleaf interchange
PENANG BRIDGE (TUN HUSSEIN ONN HIGHWAY)
PENANG BRIDGE

[edit] Bridge side

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
		U-Turn	U-TURN TUN HUSSEIN ONN HIGHWAY Perai Butterworth TnG TAG i Customer Service Centre
Perai toll plaza (PLAZA A) (Enter bridge only) PBSB TAG TnG TnG POS RM (Cash) Opened toll system Pay toll
Perai toll plaza (PLAZA B) (Enter bridge only) PBSB TAG TnG TnG POS RM (Cash) Opened toll system Pay toll
		P Perai toll plaza PBSB	TnG TAG i Customer Service Centre	Enter bridge only
		U-Turn	U-TURN PENANG BRIDGE George Town Bayan Lepas TnG TAG i Customer Service Centre
		Penang Bridge 13.5 kilometres		Start/End of Bridge
5
5.1 - 5.9		Penang Bridge		Central span Cable stayed bridge Six lane carriageway
6
		Penang Bridge 13.5 kilometres		Start/End of Bridge
	EXIT 3602A EXIT 3602B EXIT 3602C	GELUGOR INTERCHANGE	EXIT 3602C NORTH Jalan Tunku Kudin Air Itam JELUTONG EXPRESSWAY George Town EXIT 3602B WEST GELUGOR HIGHWAY Malaysian Highway Authority Northern Regional Office Gelugor Jalan Gelugor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) EXIT 3602A SOUTH BAYAN LEPAS EXPRESSWAY Bayan Lepas Penang International Airport	Stacked expressway interchange

[edit] EXIT 3602B Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) interchange side

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
		Malaysian Highway Authority Northern Regional Office
	EXIT 3602B WEST	UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA INTERCHANGE	GELUGOR HIGHWAY NORTH Gelugor Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) SOUTH Sungai Nibong Bayan Lepas Penang International Airport	Trumpet interchange

[edit] EXIT 3602C Jalan Tunku Kudin interchange side

km	Exit	Interchange	To	Remarks
		Tesco Penang
	EXIT 3602C NORTH	JALAN TUNKU KUDIN INTERCHANGE	WEST P19 PENANG MIDDLE RING ROAD JALAN TENGKU KUDIN Jalan Masjid Negeri Air Itam	Interchange from/to Penang Bridge and Bayan Lepas only
PENANG BRIDGE PBSB border limit
JELUTONG EXPRESSWAY JKR and MPPP border limit
			NORTH JELUTONG EXPRESSWAY George Town

[edit] Interesting facts

• Penang Bridge toll plaza (Prai) is the first toll plaza in Malaysia to introduce toll payment by Contactless Smart Card.
• Penang Bridge toll plaza (Prai) is the first toll plaza in Malaysia with smart card payment for all classes of vehicles.

[edit] Major events

[edit] Penang Bridge International Marathon

The Penang Bridge

The Penang Bridge International Marathon is held every year since 1985.

Participants ran over the third longest bridge in the world - the Penang Bridge - and along a scenic coastal highway. This is the only time of the year when the bridge is closed for several hours.

The biggest run in the country incorporates a marathon, a half-marathon and a quarter-marathon. The Run catered both to serious runners and amateur ones. It promoted healthy living and built a sense of community.

This is in addition to trophies, finisher medals, certificates and prizes donated by sponsors. In the past, this has included air tickets, hotel stays and household electrical goods.

The run was jointly organised by the Penang Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang) and Malaysian Highway Authority with the co-operation of the Penang Government, the Penang Amateur Athletic Association, the Penang Youth and Sports Department , University Science Malaysia, Penang Tourism Action Council and Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd.

For more information see also Penang Bridge International Marathon website

[edit] See also

• Penang Second Bridge
• Penang
• North-South Expressway
• Jelutong Expressway
• Touch 'n Go
• Smart TAG
• Road signs in Malaysia
• Malaysian Federal Roads system
• Malaysian State Roads system
• Malaysian expressway system

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• PLUS Expressway Berhad
• Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd
• Malaysian Highway Authotity
• Satellite Image of the Penang Bridge at Google Maps
• Penang Bridge Blog - maintained by Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd, the bridge's operator
• Penang Bridge - Penang National Landmark
• Penang Bridge in the Structurae database

v • d • e Malaysian Expressway System History Chronology of Malaysian Expressway System events Toll rates North-South Expressway • East Coast Expressway • Kajang-Seremban Highway Interstate North-South Expressway Northern Route (including New Klang Valley Expressway) • North-South Expressway Southern Route • North-South Expressway Central Link (including Putrajaya Link) (NSECL/ELITE) • Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway and East Coast Expressway (LPT/ECE) • Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE) • Kajang-Seremban Highway (KASEH) • ^ West Coast Expressway (LPB/WCE) Klang Valley and Selangor Shah Alam Expressway (SAE/KESAS) • Cheras - Kajang Expressway (CKE/Grand Saga) • Sungai Besi Expressway (SBE/BESRAYA) (including # Shamelin Expressway or Besraya Extension Expressway) • New Pantai Expressway (NPE) • Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP) • Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH) • # Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway (LKSA) • Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK) • Maju Expressway (MEX) (Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya Expressway (KLPE) and KL-KLIA Dedicated Expressway) • Sprint Expressway (Kerinchi Link, Damansara Link and Penchala Link) • # Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (KLKSE) (Assam Jawa-Templer Park Highway (LATAR)) • South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) • New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB) • Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE) • Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE) • East-West Link Expressway and Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Expressway • Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART Tunnel) • ^ Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road (KLORR) • ^ New North Klang Valley Expressway (NNKVE) • ^ Kuala Lumpur Arah Serendah Expressway (KLAS) Johor Second Link Expressway (Malaysia-Singapore Second Link) (MSSC/LINKEDUA) • # JB Eastern Dispersal Link • # Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE) • ^ Muar-Segamat Highway Penang Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) • # Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) • # Penang Second Bridge • Penang Bridge Others Ipoh-Lumut Expressway • Tun Salahuddin Bridge • Seremban-Port Dickson Highway (SPDH) Legend - # denotes highway under construction, ^ for under development.

v • d • e Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) NCER Perlis Kangar • Padang Besar • Perlis Seed Centre NCER Kedah Alor Setar • Anak Bukit • Langkawi • Bukit Kayu Hitam • Universiti Utara Malaysia • Sultan Abdul Halim Airport • Menara Alor Star • Paddy Museum • Gurun • Sungai Petani Halal Hub • Kulim Hi-Tech Park NCER Penang Butterworth • Butterworth Outer Ring Road • Georgetown • Jelutong Expressway • KOMTAR • Penang Ferry Service • Penang Port • Penang Monorail • Penang Bridge • Penang Second Bridge • Penang Sentral • Penang International Airport • Penang Global City Centre • Penang Outer Ring Road • Rapid Penang • Universiti Sains Malaysia NCER Perak Temenggor Lake • Universiti Teknologi Petronas

Coordinates: 5°21′14″N 100°20′47″E / 5.35389°N 100.34639°E / 5.35389; 100.34639